An automated method of content analysis for psychotherapy research: A further validation. (2nd January 2017)

• Record Type: Journal Article
• Authors: Salvatore, Sergio; Gelo, Omar Carlo Gioacchino; Gennaro, Alessandro; Metrangolo, Roberto; Terrone, Grazia; Pace, Valeria; Venuleo, Claudia; Venezia, Annalisa; Ciavolino, Enrico
• Is Part Of: Psychotherapy research. Volume 27:Number 1(2017)
• Page Start: 38
• Page End: 50
• Publication Date: 2017-01-02
• Subjects: ACASM -- automated text analysis -- thematic analysis -- psychotherapy process; ACASM -- analisi del testo automatica -- analisi tematica -- processo psicoterapeutico; ACASM -- automatisierte Textanalyse -- thematische Analyse -- Psychotherapieprozess; ACASM；自動化的文本分析；主題分析；心理治療歷程; Psychotherapy -- Periodicals; Psychotherapy -- Research -- Periodicals; Psychotherapy -- Periodicals; Psychothérapie -- Périodiques; Psychothérapie -- Recherche -- Périodiques; 616.891405
• DOI: 10.1080/10503307.2015.1072282
• Languages: English
• ISSNs: 1050-3307

Abstract

Abstract: Objective: The aim of the study is to validate the ability of ACASM (Automated Co-occurrence Analysis for Semantic Mapping) to provide a representation of the content of the therapeutic exchange that is useful for clinical analysis.Method: We compared the clinical case analyses of a good outcome psychodynamic therapy performed by a group of clinicians ( n = 5) based on the verbatim transcripts (transcript-based analysis) with the clinical case analyses performed by another group of clinicians ( n = 5) based on the ACASM representation of the same sessions (ACASM-based analysis). Comparison concerned two levels: the descriptive level and the interpretative level of the clinical case analysis. Results: Findings showed that, inconsistently with our hypothesis, ACASM-based descriptions of the case obtained worse evaluations than transcript-based descriptions of the case (on all 3 criteria adopted). On the contrary, consistently with our hypothesis, ACASM is undistinguishable from the verbatim transcripts as regards the case interpretation (on 2 out of 3 criteria adopted).Conclusions: ACASM provides a description of the case that, though different from the one provided by the transcripts, enables clinicians to elaborate clinical interpretations of the case which approximate those produced by clinicians working directly on verbatim transcripts.